**7.2 Embryo transfer**

*Goats (Capra) - From Ancient to Modern*

*Significant at 5% level (i.e., p < 0.05). \*\*Significant at 1% level (i.e., p < 0.01). \*\*\*Significant at 0.1% level (i.e., p < 0.001).*

**Birth Pre-**

**Body weight at Body weight at**

**weaning**

Similarly, phenotypic correlation among the weight traits at different stages of growth of *Khari* goat kids ranged from 0.56 to 0.94 (see **Table 13**). Strong positive association among the weight traits of kids at all stages of growth indicates that selection for increased weight at earlier age will result in increased weight of kids at

*Genetic correlation (above diagonal) and phenotypic correlation (below the diagonal) between the weight* 

Birth — 0.61\*\* 0.71\*\* 0.72\*\* 0.76\*\*\* 0.79\*\*\* 0.78\*\*\* Pre-weaning 0.64\*\* — 0.81\*\*\* 0.80\*\*\* 0.75\*\*\* 0.65\*\* 0.55\* Weaning 0.67\*\* 0.80\*\*\* — 0.95\*\*\* 0.86\*\*\* 0.78\*\*\* 0.68\*\* 6 months 0.68\*\* 0.75\*\*\* 0.91\*\*\* — 0.93\*\*\* 0.85\*\*\* 0.76\*\*\* 9 months 0.71\*\* 0.69\*\* 0.81\*\*\* 0.92\*\*\* — 0.96\*\*\* 0.85\*\*\* 12 months 0.70\*\* 0.62\*\* 0.75\*\*\* 0.83\*\*\* 0.94\*\*\* — 0.95\*\*\* 15 months 0.72\*\* 0.56\* 0.66\*\* 0.76\*\*\* 0.86\*\*\* 0.94\*\*\* —

**Weaning 6 months 9 months 12 months 15 months**

Biotechnological advances particularly estrus synchronization, artificial insemination (AI), and embryo transfer (ET) have not been exploited widely so far in the country and could be the avenue of future goat development program. Lack of goat breeding centers for quality seed and ever-increasing demand on breeding stocks and chevon strongly justify the massive use of AI and ET in goat. National Livestock Breeding Center, Pokhara, and Animal Breeding Division, NARC, are being stepped

Synchronization of estrus allows the farmers to shorten the breeding season of their flock by bringing all of their does into heat around the same time so that they will kid at the same time. Other advantages of this technique include reducing the time required to check heat, reducing the time required for intensive care of the herd or flock, and pregnancy being able to be shifted to coincide with favorable marketing patterns. Controlled Internal Drug Release (CIDR) device is being used in conjunction with gonadotropin (pregnant mare serum gonadotropin) hormone

Artificial insemination, in the developed countries, is the good example of how tremendous improvements can be made in both genetics and reproductive management of goats by using synchronization methods. In Nepal, frozen Boer goat semen (both pellet and straw) is being imported from India and Australia to upgrade Khari goats through AI at research stations, government farms, and multiplier herd identified

later stage of growth as reported by earlier studies [37].

*traits of* Khari *goat kids at different stages of growth in Nawalparasi, Nepal.*

**7.1 Estrus synchronization and artificial insemination**

**7. Biotechnological approaches**

up in the direction.

*\**

*Source: [17].*

**Table 13.**

to bring does into estrus.

**72**

The Government of Nepal has established embryo transfer facilities at National Livestock Breeding Office (NLBO), Pokhara. Works have been started in dairy cattle and importation of live embryo, and transferring them to the recipient is being practiced occasionally in this species. However, this technology is not being tested in the case of goats to date in the country.
